While Wayfair is primarily an online furniture store, the company has announced that it will elevate its in-store customer experience for furniture shoppers.
Wayfair has utilized virtual reality technology to create Digital Design Studio – “a kiosk that allows customers to create and interact with a variety of design layouts and experience products in a digital, 3D room at photorealistic quality,” the company said in a statement.
“Experimentation and innovation with an eye on improving the customer experience is at the heart of everything we do at Wayfair,” said Fiona Tan, Wayfair's chief technology officer. “Wayfair strongly believes in meeting our customers where they want to shop, whether online or in person. The Digital Design Studio helps us execute on this omnichannel experience, by making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for and ultimately have greater confidence and satisfaction in their purchase.”
How does it work?
The first Digital Design Studio is located in Dedham, Massachusetts, at the AllModern store.
To utilize the technology, shoppers will place different product cards, which feature different pieces of furniture or decor, on top of a kiosk with a glass surface. Once the product cards are placed on the glass, shoppers will see a virtual scene including the different pieces of furniture displayed on the product cards.
From there, it’s up to the customer how they want to move forward. The Digital Design Studio can be used to create different furniture arrangements or compare and contrast different pieces of furniture.
Mapping out new furniture purchases
The primary goal of the Digital Design Studio is to make it easier for shoppers to know what their rooms will look like with their new furniture purchases. While furniture stores are typically limited with how much inventory they can keep onsite, that isn’t the case with this technology. Wayfair’s entire catalog will be available in the Digital Design Studio.
With this technology, shoppers won’t have to guess how a certain couch will look with a coffee table, or if the rug they like will match their throw pillows. The Digital Design Studio lets customers customize everything to make sure what they’re buying will look the way they want it to – they can see the layout, size and test out different lighting options.
There’s also the option to change the background color of the virtual room so shoppers can find something that most match their own space.
When items are available in different colors, fabrics and finishes, the Digital Design Studio can cycle through all of the different options. All of these tools are designed to help shoppers feel fully confident in the items they choose without having to guess on sizes, shades, or pieces.
Like most online shopping experiences, the Digital Design Studio will allow shoppers to manipulate the sizes of things to get the full effect of the items they’re interested in. The technology allows customers to zoom in and change the angle they’re looking at the furniture.
However, the twist is that shoppers will be able to see it in a 3D room, blending both in-person and online shopping.